REPORT ALL DRUGS DISPENSED?

Should family clinicians be required to report to a central organization all drugs of any class given or sold to patients for the sole purpose of helping public health officials keep track of medication use? Is this a constitutionality issue?—Bryant H. Hudson 3rd, MD, Montgomery, Ala.

I can see the usefulness of this suggestion from a public-health point of view, and the states, which traditionally regulate physicians and their practice, would have the power to do this if they wanted to. Any constitutional challenge would be on the basis of invasion of patient privacy rights, not the obvious administrative burden placed on clinicians.—David S. Starr, MD, JD (105-13)

Next Article in Advisor Forum

Sign Up for Free e-newsletters

ClinicalAdvisor.com is for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, offering the latest information on diagnosing, treating, managing, and preventing medical conditions typically seen in the office-based primary-care setting.

Find all of the news and departments you love from the print issue archived for easy online access, along with special Web-only content.